Facile Synthesis of the Polyaniline@Waste Cellulosic Nanocomposite for the Efficient Decontamination of Copper(II) and Phenol from Wastewater

The existence of heavy metals and organic pollutants in wastewater is a threat to the ecosystem and a challenge for researchers to remove using common technology. Herein, a facile one-step in situ oxidative polymerization synthesis method has been used to fabricate polyaniline@waste cellulosic nanocomposite adsornt, polyaniline-embedded waste tissue paper (PANI@WTP) to remove copper(II) and phenol from the aqueous solution. The structural and surface properties of the synthesized materials were examined by XRD, FTIR, TEM, and a zeta potential analyzer. The scavenging of the Cu(II) and phenol onto the prepared materials was investigated as a function of interaction time, pollutant concentration, and solution pH. Advanced kinetics and isotherms modeling is used to explore the Cu(II) ion and phenol adsorption mechanisms. The synthesized PANI@WTP adsorbent showed a high intake capacity for Cu(II) than phenol, with the maximum calculated adsorption capacity of 605.20 and 501.23 mg g(-1), respectively. The Langmuir equilibrium isotherm model is well-fitted for Cu(II) and phenol adsorption onto the PANI@WTP. The superior scavenging capability of the PANI@WTP for Cu(II) and phenol could be explained based on the host-guest interaction forces and large active sites. Moreover, the efficiency of the PANI@WTP for Cu(II) and phenol scavenging was excellent even after the five cycles of regeneration.

Automated summary

A facile one-step in situ oxidative polymerization synthesis method was used to fabricate polyaniline@waste cellulosic nanocomposite adsorbent to remove copper(II) and phenol from aqueous solution. The structural and surface properties of the synthesized material were examined and the adsorption behavior of Cu(II) and phenol onto the material was investigated. The PANI@WTP adsorbent showed high adsorption capacity for Cu(II) and phenol, and the efficiency remained excellent even after multiple cycles of regeneration.